Anchorage for boat docks

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to an anchorage for boat docks (piers, wharves and the like) for small boats and pleasure water craft, which anchorage can be positioned and retained in position without consideration of the nature of the surface of the water bed. Further, the anchorage can be placed into position with the use of the small boat, a wrench, and a level only. This method of positioning an anchorage can be utilized to stabilize a plurality of piers and then as the base for the attachment of prefabricated members to form any desired form or design of dock or wharf. The installation of the anchorage does not require any type of pile driving to securely fasten the anchorage to the surface of the water bed.

United States Patent Swift [451 May 16, 1972 54] ANCHORAGE FOR BOATDOCKS 3,345,825 10/1967 Parker ..61/48 Inventor: Wesley K swift, 343419th Ave, Moline 3,518,834 4 7/1970 Gnaedmger et a1 ..61/53.6

61265 Primary Examiner-Jacob Shapiro [22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1969Att0rneyH. Vincent Harsha [21] Appl. N0.: 879,383 [57] ABSTRACT v Thisdisclosure relates to an anchorage for boat docks (piers, I52] U.S.Clwharves and the like) for Small boats and pleasure water craft 1 I 1 727/42 which anchorage can be positioned and retained in position i 'f i61/48 4653 6 53 without consideration of the nature of the surface ofthe water I 1 o are bed. Further, the anchorage can be placed intoposition with the use of the small boat, a wrench, and a level only.This method of positioning an anchorage can be utilized to stabilize[56] References cued a plurality of piers and then as the base for theattachment of UNITED STATES PATENTS prefabricated members to forrn anydesired form or design of dock or wharf. The installation of theanchorage does not 1,421,857 7/ 1922 Store "61/46 require any type fpile driving to securely fasten the 2,6816 S g anchorage to the surfaceof the water bed. 3,074,23 1 1 e o ian.. 3,074,239 1/1963 Mustard..61/48 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAYIB I972 V 3.662.559

' sum 1 or 3 INVENTOR. WESLEY K. SWIFT BWMM ATTORNEY I PMEMTEm-m 16 1972SHEET 2 [IF 3 INVENTOR. WESLEY K. SWIFT FIG. 2

ATTORNEY PMEMTEDMAY 16 I972 'SHEET '3 OF 3 FIG. 2A

IO 0 O D O] INVENTQR. WESLEY K.SWlFT V MM ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Prior to this invention, docks and anchorages for small boatshave required some type of manual or mechanical means for driving pilesor posts into the water bed and then attaching the facility or dockthereto. The facility or dock is then used for the access or securing ofsmall craft thereto. These dock facilities have been subject to damagecaused by normal or abnormal rise and fall of water levels, and indeedhave been irreparably damaged by pressure, rot, rust, etc.

Another prior method for securing a dock facility has been to have acenter section of the dock float and be secured to a second sectionattached to the shore above the water line. This permits only limitedfreedom for the one section to float as the water level changes, andthis dock is subject to the same damages as the anchored floats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention permits almost unlimitedvertical motion of the dock or anchorage with no movement in thehorizontal plane. Thus, the dock is free to move with the water leveland is not subject to the damages from pressure mentioned above.

This invention provides a permanent anchorage with predeterminedstrength qualities, made of materials which are not subject to rot, rustand the other normal damages arising from submersion in water. Thisinvention also provides for the attachment of floating sections on thefixed anchorage. These floating sections are connected to the fixedsections so they move in a vertical plane while being retained in thehorizontal plane by the anchorage.

It is a feature of this invention that the anchorage for the facilitywhich may be called either a wharf, a dock or a pier, is anchored to thefloor of the body of water, the bed of the lake or river, and theanchored portion serves as the retaining member for the floor of thedock. The anchored portion permits movement in the vertical plane andrestricts motion in the horizontal plane.

It is a further feature of this invention that the anchorage has a longlife and is not subject to movements due to the activity of the water inany plane. It is still another feature of this invention that anyirregularities in the surface of the water bed are utilized to improvethe holding power, whereas prior to this invention the surface hascreated many problems. The placement of the dock has often been dictatedby the surface of the water bed. Another feature of this invention is tomake permanent but light-weight docks available even in remote areas.

Another feature of this invention is that by the proper use ofreinforcement and with the flexible base, it is possible to have ananchorage that takes advantage of the terrain to improve the stabilityof the anchorage.

It is yet a further feature of this invention that a single person caninstall the total facility with only the hand tools available, Le. awrench and level. The invention also provides for storage or removal ofsections or the addition of further sections without the necessity ofchanging the anchored portions.

It is an important feature of this invention that the perpendicularmembers are held in position by stabilizing means until the liquidsetting substance such as concrete has formed a solid mass to retainthem. These pads or stabilizers are adjustable and connected to thevertical members in such a way that they can be utilized on anyirregular surface and at any depth.

It is another feature that there are supporting stabilizing collarswhich are adjustable on the vertical members and permit the floatingsections to move with the water yet provide stability at a predeterminedlevel to the pier sections when persons walk on the surface of the dock.If the support is not needed, then these collars may be adjusted topermit complete flotation of the dock.

This invention also provides for a multiple yoke stabilizer which canconnect sections of pier to stabilize these pier sections into one solidpier. Thus, any reasonable number of pier sections can be attached tothe anchorage of this invention, the horizontal movement controlled, andthe stability of the sections stabilized by the interdependency of therespective parts.

Accordingly, it is among the many objects of the invention to provideconstructions and methods embodying one or more of the features hereinset forth. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects are apparent from thisdescription and/or the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1-1A are schematic drawings of the anchor members of thisinvention;

FIGS. 2-2A are details of the construction of a dock or pier section ofthis invention showing the alternate methods by which support is giventhe pier sections; and,

FIG. 3 is an overall plan of some of the dock designs possible utilizingthe principles of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is disclosed avertical piling 10. This pipe or piling should preferably be of anoncorrosive material and have sufficient strength to retain the docksections in position and prevent horizontal movement thereof. In atypical situation this pipe 10 should be at least 3 inches in diameter.This pipe 10 has a threaded member 1 l which couples to a second pipesection 12. The second pipe section 12 has a plurality of orifices 20.These orifices permit the flow of concrete without stoppage which mayoccur if only the open end of the pipe is utilized. There is a bag 13made of nonporous material and which must not be rigid, secured to thepipe 12 by means of a seal or clamp 14. The bag 13 encloses the orifices20. The clamping means may be any well known type, such as the type usedfor holding hoses in automobiles in position, or any other type whichwill provide the requisite water-tightness. The bag 13 can enclose thearea between two spaced-apart vertical pipes or may enclose only asingle pipe. As shown in FIG. I, the structural members 15 and 16 willeffectively maintain the pipes 10 in a predetermined spaced-apartrelationship. In addition it will improve stability if the structuralmember 16 is extended beyond the base of the pipe by several inches andsuch extension member 17 improves stability against side movement of theanchorage.

As shown in FIG. 1A, if each pipe has its own individual bag 13, thenthe members 15 and 16 may be dispensed with and a metal or other rigidmaterial member 18 would be utilized to assure stability of the singlepipe. The single pipe could be used when the design of the dock oranchorage did not require strength inherent in the double design. If thesingle section pipe is used, then member 18 should be held in positionby a plurality of spacer rods 19. If two single pipes 10 are used asshown in FIG. 1A, then it is necessary that any required spacialrelationship be maintained by an external member 15, external to thebags.

There are included within the nonrigid bag certain orifices 20 for thedispersal of the liquid material, that hardens with the passage of time,such as concrete, from the pipe 12 into the bag. These orifices permitconcrete in a fluid state to flow evenly into the bag and surround thestructural members enclosed in the bag. The concrete is free to seek itsown level and then to fill the pipe 10 after the bag is full. If noorifices are provided, the concrete may close the opening before the bagis sufficiently full. As the bag 13 or 21 is filled to requiredcapacity, it will assume the shape of the floor of the water bed, andthe concrete will fill the pipes 10. As the pipes 10 are filled withconcrete, the strength of the pipes is that of the pipe and the concretemay be reinforced by members 22.

To provide for total stabilization against drift or movement during theinstallation and/or pouring of the concrete into the pipes to fill thebags, there are provided a plurality of stabilizing pads or members 23.These members are permitted to rest on the floor of the water bed andthen secured in position by means of adjustable collars 24. When thecollars are secured to the pipes, the pipes are securely supported in astabilized condition until the bag is filled and the concrete hardened.These pads need not be made of noncorrosive material as the finalstability does not require that they continue to function. These padsnormally form an isosceles triangle with the pipe at one side.

In FIG. 2 there is depicted a detailed construction of dock hardwaresections which are adaptable for use with the anchorages of thisinvention, thus providing a new and novel dock or wharf constructionwhich is easy and simple. These sections are provided with a fabricatedtube and angle section which is designed to ride up and down on theoutside diameter dimension of pipe 10. in the final construction of thepier, these tube angle parts are held in predetermined relationships bymembers 32. Crossbars 33 may be prefabricated with the vertical membersfor attaching floor joists. Both angle sections 31 and crossbars 33 maycontain predetermined holes for easy attachment of the floor joists. Inaddition, the collars 26 provide for limiting the vertical movement offlotation sections into the water. This will provide stability forpersons walking on the dock sections.

FIG. 2A shows the details of the exterior tube and angle section 41where the tube 43 is shown attached to the exterior of the frame members32.

In FIG. 3 a stabilizing yoke 37 is shown as connecting a series of piers35 to a common wharf section 39. This yoke 37 is necessarily a strongnoncorrosive material and extends beneath the surface of the water to adepth of 3 or 4 feet or at least beyond the depth of the pleasure craftthat may utilize the dock. By means of fittings and uprights 38perpendicular to it, yoke 37 is attached to the outer floor joists orstringers of each pier by a bolting plate. Thus, yoke 37 stabilizes theplurality of piers as one pier. This feature of the pier formation isutilized with the anchorage of this invention to provide a complete piersystem at any location without the necessity of pilings being driveninto the water bed.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed asrequired by the statutes, other forms, which may be used, all comewithin the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. An anchorage for boat docks, comprising a pipe,

first means attached at one end of said pipe for rigidly maintaining apredetermined angular relationship between said pipe and the surface ofthe earth,

a bag of nonporous material attached to said one end of said pipeandenclosing said first means, said bag being filled with a materialheavier than water, and

stabilizing means attached to said pipe externally of said bag formaintaining said pipe in a vertical position prior to the filling ofsaid bag.

2. An anchorage for boat docks in accordance with claim 1, and includingmeans for attaching a platform to said anchorage to permit onlysubstantially vertical motion of said platform.

3. An anchorage for boat docks, comprising a plurality of pipes,

a plurality of rigid brace members connected between said pipes andextending therebeyond, said brace members serving to hold said pipes ina predetermined spaced relationship,

a bag of nonporous material attached to one end of said pipes, said bagbeing filled with a material heavier than water,

a plurality of orifices in each of said pipes and enclosed by said bag,and

means attached to each of said pipes externally of said bag forstabilizing said pipes with relationship'to the surface of the earth.

4. In combination, boat dock hardware comprising a plurality of fixedpipes having orifices therein at the submerged ends thereof, a plur ityof brace members interconnecting said pipes for holding said pipes in apredetermined spaced-apart relationship,

a bag of nonporous material attached to the submerged ends of saidpipes, said bag being filled with a substance having a specific gravitygreater than that of water, with said brace members being surrounded bysaid substance,

stabilizing means attached to each said pipe externally of said bag formaintaining each pipe in a vertical position, and

a floating member secured in slidable relationship to said pipes, saidfloating member thus being free for vertical movement with the waterwhile being restrained against horizontal movement.

5. The method of installing a boat dock, comprising securing a bag ofnonporous material around the open end of each of a plurality of pipemembers so as to enclose, respectively, each said pipe end and alaterally-disposed stabilizing means attached thereto,

submerging each of said pipe ends and said respective enclosing bags,

stabilizing said pipes vertically by means of respective secondstabilizing means external of said bags,

filling said pipes and respective bags with a fluid settablecomposition, and

installing on said pipes a floating platform free for vertical movementrelative thereto.

6. The method of installing a boat dock, comprising securing a bag ofnonporous material around the open ends of a plurality of pipe membersso as to enclose said pipe ends and laterally-disposed stabilizing meansextending therebetween,

submerging said pipe ends and said enclosing bag,

stabilizing said pipes vertically by means of respective secondstabilizing means external of said bag,

filling said pipes and said bag with a fluid settable composition, and

installing on said pipes a floating platform free for vertical movementrelative thereto.

1. An anchorage for boat docks, comprising a pipe, first means attachedat one end of said pipe for rigidly maintaining a predetermined angularrelationship between said pipe and the surface of the eArth, a bag ofnonporous material attached to said one end of said pipe and enclosingsaid first means, said bag being filled with a material heavier thanwater, and stabilizing means attached to said pipe externally of saidbag for maintaining said pipe in a vertical position prior to thefilling of said bag.
 2. An anchorage for boat docks in accordance withclaim 1, and including means for attaching a platform to said anchorageto permit only substantially vertical motion of said platform.
 3. Ananchorage for boat docks, comprising a plurality of pipes, a pluralityof rigid brace members connected between said pipes and extendingtherebeyond, said brace members serving to hold said pipes in apredetermined spaced relationship, a bag of nonporous material attachedto one end of said pipes, said bag being filled with a material heavierthan water, a plurality of orifices in each of said pipes and enclosedby said bag, and means attached to each of said pipes externally of saidbag for stabilizing said pipes with relationship to the surface of theearth.
 4. In combination, boat dock hardware comprising a plurality offixed pipes having orifices therein at the submerged ends thereof, aplurality of brace members interconnecting said pipes for holding saidpipes in a predetermined spaced-apart relationship, a bag of nonporousmaterial attached to the submerged ends of said pipes, said bag beingfilled with a substance having a specific gravity greater than that ofwater, with said brace members being surrounded by said substance,stabilizing means attached to each said pipe externally of said bag formaintaining each pipe in a vertical position, and a floating membersecured in slidable relationship to said pipes, said floating memberthus being free for vertical movement with the water while beingrestrained against horizontal movement.
 5. The method of installing aboat dock, comprising securing a bag of nonporous material around theopen end of each of a plurality of pipe members so as to enclose,respectively, each said pipe end and a laterally-disposed stabilizingmeans attached thereto, submerging each of said pipe ends and saidrespective enclosing bags, stabilizing said pipes vertically by means ofrespective second stabilizing means external of said bags, filling saidpipes and respective bags with a fluid settable composition, andinstalling on said pipes a floating platform free for vertical movementrelative thereto.
 6. The method of installing a boat dock, comprisingsecuring a bag of nonporous material around the open ends of a pluralityof pipe members so as to enclose said pipe ends and laterally-disposedstabilizing means extending therebetween, submerging said pipe ends andsaid enclosing bag, stabilizing said pipes vertically by means ofrespective second stabilizing means external of said bag, filling saidpipes and said bag with a fluid settable composition, and installing onsaid pipes a floating platform free for vertical movement relativethereto.